The Congo Mines That Supply "Conflict Minerals" For the World's Gadgets

Most people who own a smartphone-or a laptop, or a new car-aren't familiar with tantalum, the rare, blue-gray metal that conducts electricity through these devices. But thanks to skyrocketing demand from electronics makers, tantalum-along with a handful of other rare minerals-is now one of the most sought-after metals on Earth. And it's fueling the ongoing conflict in Congo.

In the October 125th Anniversary issue of National Geographic, Jeffrey Gettleman and photographer Marcus Bleasdale travel into eastern Congo to investigate the current state of the country's mineral trade, which Bleasdale describes as "an antlike army expending millions of calories and gallons of sweat to feed a vast and distant global industry."

Eastern Congo is home to a huge wealth of precious metals, though it's one of the the poorest countries in the world. The country's mines produce near half of the world's supply of tantalum, as well as a large percentage of its tin ore, tungsten, gold, and dozens of other minerals used in electronics. And the militia groups that control them have long funded their activities by employing locals-and kids-to mine minerals in horrifying conditions...